Glorifying God Together through Worship

Notes: Glorifying God Together through Worship 
Pastor Chet Lowe
Coast Hills
1-15-17
Psalm 95 and 96
Series: Worship

Psalm 95:1-11 ESV
[1] Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! [2] Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! [3] For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. [4] In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. [5] The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. [6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! [7] For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, [9] when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. [10] For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways." [11] Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest."

Psalm 96:1-4 ESV
[1] Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! [2] Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. [3] Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! [4] For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

We will learn together about how to Glorify God today in worship.

Revelation 4:8 ESV
[8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Revelation 4:11 ESV
[11] "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

1. The church is singing the song that we are created to sing.

Revelation 5:9 ESV
[9] And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
Revelation 5:10 ESV
[10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

Songs help us to remember.

Revelation 5:12 ESV
[12] saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

The centrality of our song is Jesus. Only through the death of Jesus are we worthy to worship.

1 Timothy 6:16 ESV
[16] who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

John 14:6 ESV
[6] Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Revelation 5:13 ESV
[13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"

Revelation 5:14 ESV
[14] And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

We will be finally fulfilling our purpose.

1 Peter 2:9 ESV
[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Ephesians 1:4-6 ESV
[4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In the Garden at the point of the first sin we lost our purpose.

Because we have been designed to worship, we search for things to worship. We at that point are worshipping the creation not the creator.

What is your worship?

Psalm 66:1 ESV
[1] Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

Psalm 98:1 ESV
[1] Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psalm 100:1-3 ESV
[1] Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! [2] Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! [3] Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

The center of the Bible is Psalms, the center of the Bible is worship.

1. He calls us to worship, He is worthy of our worship.

Luke 19:36-40 ESV
[36] And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. [37] As he was drawing near-already on the way down the Mount of Olives-the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, [38] saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" [39] And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." [40] He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

Jesus is telling the Pharisees and us, He is worthy of worship.

Are we fascinated with God, are we awe struck?

Matthew 28:9-10 ESV
[9] And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. [10] Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

God makes it very clear to Job that man is not anywhere close to God:
Job 38:4-41 ESV
[4] "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. [5] Who determined its measurements-surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? [6] On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, [7] when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? [8] "Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, [9] when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, [10] and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, [11] and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'? [12] "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, [13] that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? [14] It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. [15] From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. [16] "Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? [17] Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? [18] Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. [19] "Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, [20] that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? [21] You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! [22] "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, [23] which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? [24] What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? [25] "Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain and a way for the thunderbolt, [26] to bring rain on a land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man, [27] to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground sprout with grass? [28] "Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? [29] From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? [30] The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. [31] "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? [32] Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? [33] Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? [34] "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? [35] Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'? [36] Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? [37] Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, [38] when the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick fast together? [39] "Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, [40] when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? [41] Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?

God calls us to worship so we can discover our purpose.

1 King 17 says they feared the Lord but worshipped their gods.

What do you fear about losing the most? Your spouse, child or job? You should fear losing God.

If work is where you find your purpose, then when you retire, you will be confused.

2. He Directs Worship that is Worthy.

Thank God for His grace.

Jesus wants us to worship His way.

John 4:19-23 ESV
[19] The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." [21] Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

We can't pick and choose how we worship.

Psalm 139:1-7 ESV
[1] O LORD, you have searched me and known me! [2] You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. [3] You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. [4] Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. [5] You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. [6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. [7] Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Romans 12:1-2 ESV
[1] I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There is a spirit of worship, Jesus expressed this spirit for us on the Cross.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Acts 13:2 ESV
[2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

As they were fulfilling what they were created for, God gave them their purpose.

God in His word revealed who He is. The book of Deuteronomy is how to worship.

We should know we are a worship community by a showing of our love.